Game Design and Theory

Game Design and Theory

There are numerous game design theories that game developers utilize in order to develop and create games. One of the most important and essential theories is “Play to Conceive”. This means that the developer should start to play around the game editor without any purpose in mind in order to develop new things and conceive new ideas.

Developers should engage in the unstructured play in order to understand the mechanics of the game and the different opportunities that it holds. They should approach the game editor of the game as a curious child would approach a new game. This is because while the game can have a certain purpose, playing through the game like a child can make the game take a whole new turn.

For example, the creator of Sim City, Will Wright did not invent Sim City on purpose, as it was a coincidence. He was working through the game editor of a game called Raid on Bungeling Bay. This game was a war game that included virtual cities that players would bomb. While he was creating these cities he found out that building these cities, the buildings and the roods was even more fun than the purpose of the original game. He started to pursue that idea which led to the making of Sim City where the purpose of the game is to build cities and plan them. This shows how can approaching a game with curiosity can change the course of the game and lead to a whole new concept.